Safety of Machinery and Special Scheme of Inspection’s Requirement towards Industry Competitiveness in Malaysia

The amendment of the Factories and Machinery Act 1967 (FMA) in 2006, with the inclusion of the new provision on special scheme of inspection takes into account of the development and advancement of technology, particularly on the latest procedure of inspection of plant and machinery in the Malaysian industries. The FMA since 1967 is the safety at work legislation applicable in Malaysia that provides for the control of factories with respect to matters relating to safety, health and welfare of person therein, the registration and inspection of machinery and for matters connected therewith. Inclusion of such provision provides an option to the industry to conduct its special scheme of inspection that analyzes the likelihood of failure and the consequence of the same in its work. This is obviously important for the economic benefits as the implementation of the scheme safeguards the integrity of the plant that will eventually increase the industry productivity and competitiveness. This paper discusses the importance of the inclusion of the special scheme of inspection provision into the statute and how it regulates the implementation of the system in the light of the development of technology in the industry. Analysis was made based on the latest legal documentation enforced relating to special scheme of inspection and with the coming into force of the Factories and Machinery (Special Scheme of Inspection) (Risk-Based Inspection) Regulations on June 1, 2014, the provision under the Factories and Machinery (Amendment) Act 2006 on special scheme of inspection shall now be fully implemented to see the effectiveness of the inspection approach for plant equipment using ‘risks analysis’.